Marcos Maidana: A Second Chance At History

Opportunities don’t often come around twice. The saying “the chance of a lifetime” signifies a rarity that reflects an extremely difficult task, but also one that is very hard to come by. These are the special moments in life that usually define ourselves or our legacy.

The opportunity to be graced with the presence of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the squared circle can be defined as the ultimate prize. He’s become a symbol of prominence in boxing. Every ascending fighter in the welterweight division strives for a shot at the champ. Marcos Maidana’s been awarded this chance of a lifetime twice.

Through all the debate surrounding the first fight, one thing is clear; Mayweather was challenged. The 12-1 underdog gave Floyd all he can handle and the consensus believe Maidana was ahead in the fight through six rounds.

Marcos Maidana showed us all that while Floyd Mayweather Jr. had defined dominance against many a foes, he is human. Some believe Floyd is on the down side of his career while others think his performance was merely a ploy to give the fans a show. Regardless of what any fight fan chooses to believe, Marcos Maidana came closer to taking away Mayweather’s most prized possession [his undefeated record] then any fighter in the last decade. It was a chance at history… but at the end of the day, he failed.

So how does Maidana follow up such a valiant effort that resulted in defeat? Does he truly believe he can beat Floyd?

“I can win by decision or KO… need to make a few adjustments, work on my distance control… I smothered too many punches in the first fight…” – Marcos Maidana

The Argentine brawler expended a ton of energy in the first half of their first fight by bombarding Floyd with punches from obscure angles. It was a strategy that worked and didn’t allow Mayweather any sense of comfort in his most comfortable habitat. Unfortunately, Maidana’s stamina couldn’t sustain such a vicious attack and opened the door for Floyd to create distance.

“Conditioning is key… in the first fight I let him box… [this time] I’m not gonna get tired… I’m preparing for anything… if he runs like a little bitch, I’ll have to chase him…” – Marcos Maidana

Though Maidana will walk into the MGM Grand on September 13th a heavy underdog, he’s opened the door of possibility for history to be made. A door that was once sealed shut with only the likes of Manny Pacquiao offering a key or a battering ram.

Has he cracked the “May-Vinci Code”? Maybe not, but he definitely scratched the surface.

It takes a perfect gameplan by the right fighter to compete with a defensive marvel like Floyd Mayweather Jr. Fighters can’t outbox him because they never seem to be able to land enough punches to be successful. It’s extremely tough to knock him out because he doesn’t give fighters the opportunity to land clean flush shots. But Maidana proved that if you make the fight ugly, rough and rugged, you can throw Floyd out of his comfort zone…. and once Floyd’s uncomfortable, anything is possible.

“[I’m gonna] hit him on the shoulders, arms, everywhere.. [Floyd will be] so tired that he won’t be able to defend himself…” – Marcos Maidana

History tells us that Floyd Mayweather Jr. will use the next twelve rounds to paint a clear picture of why the first fight with Marcos Maidana was a mere aberration. A fight fan’s imagination opens up the slight possibility that maybe Maidana can capitalize on his former success and finally overcome the greatest fighter in boxing today. The intrigue is built within from the foundation of the first bout. Questions will be answered and legacies defined. For Maidana, it’s a chance at history… for the second time.